PHILOP@MEN AND THE FALL OF SPARTA, 341

fixed him with his javelin, and hurled him back dead
into the muddy ditch.

This victory greatly enhanced the fame of the
Arcadian general. Some time afterwards he and a
party of his young soldiers entered the theatre
during the Nemean games, just as the actor was
speaking the opening words of the play called “The
Persians :”

“Under his conduct Greece was glorious and was free.’’

The whole audience at once turned towards Philo-
pemen, and clapped their hands with delight. It
seemed to them that in this valiant warrior the
ancient glory of Greece had returned, and for the
time some of the old-time spirit came back. But,
despite this momentary glow, the sun of Grecian
freedom and glory was near its setting. A more
dangerous enemy than Macedonia had arisen. Rome,
which Pyrrhus had gone to Italy to seek, had its
armies now in Greece itself, and the independence
of that country would soon be no more.

The next exploit of Philopemen had to do with
Messenia. Nabis, the new Spartan king, had taken
that city at a time when Philopeemen was out of
command, the generalship of the League not being
permanent. He tried to persuade Lysippus, then
general of the Acheans, to go to the relief of Mes-
senia, but he refused, saying that it was lost beyond
hope. Thereupon Philopcemen set out himself, fol-
lowed by such of his fellow-citizens as deemed him
their general by nature’s commission. The very
wind of his coming won the town. Nabis, hearing

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